Zesty Zucchini

6 small zucchini
4 mushrooms -- sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons onion -- diced
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese -- grated
4 fluid ounces tomato sauce
1 clove garlic -- minced

Preheat oven to 350°F-180°C. Wash zucchini. Cut off ends. Slice 1/8-inch 3mm slices. Set aside. Clean and slice mushrooms. Heat olive oil in skillet. Add zucchini, mushrooms, and onion. Cover and cook over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place zucchini mixture in baking dish. Add 1/2 Parmesan cheese, tomato sauce, and garlic. Stir with a fork. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake in 350°F-180°C oven for 30 minutes.

Per serving: 129 Calories (kcal); 9g Total Fat; (59% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 9g Carbohydrate; 5mg Cholesterol; 254mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 0 Grain (Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates



Zucchini Boats With Crabmeat

4 zucchini

FILLING
1 pinch chopped fresh parsley
1/2 small hot pepper
1/2 pound crabmeat
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1 pinch fresh thyme
Salt
Pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

PREPARATION: Halve the zucchini lengthwise. Scoop out seeds and some pulp from zucchini halves leaving a thin wall of flesh. After seeding the zucchini, divide each half into quarters to equal 8 boat shapes per zucchini.
For the filling, chop the parsley. Seed and mince the chili pepper. In a large bowl, combine the crabmeat, egg yolks, cheese, thyme, parsley, and chili pepper. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Recipe can be made to this point 1 day ahead. COOKING AND SERVING: Heat the broiler. Fill zucchini boats with the
crabmeat mixture and put on baking sheet. Brush with olive oil. Broil until heated through, about 10 minutes.

Per serving: 58 Calories (kcal); 4g Total Fat; (65% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 2g Carbohydrate; 38mg Cholesterol; 50mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 0 Grain (Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates



Zucchini with Chili Basil Dressing

6 medium zucchini
1 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 small red chilies -- chopped

Cut zucchini lengthways into 5mm slices; cook on both sides, in batches, in greased heated griddle pan (or grill or barbecue) until charred and tender. Combine hot zucchini with remaining ingredients in large bowl; cover, stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour before serving.

Per serving: 532 Calories (kcal); 54g Total Fat; (88% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 12g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 11mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 0 Grain (Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 11 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates



Zucchini Dilled

2 medium zucchini
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon Butter -- melted
1 teaspoon dill weed

Cut unpared zucchini lengthwise in half. Cook covered in 1" ( 6mm ) boiling salted water 12 to 15 minutes or until tender; drain. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with dill weed.


Per serving: 40 Calories (kcal); 3g Total Fat; (61% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; 8mg Cholesterol; 33mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 0 Grain (Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates



Zucchini Bread
Recipe courtesy St. John’s University

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cups brown sugar
3/4 cups vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 cups finely chopped zucchini
3/4 cups walnut pieces
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine sugars, oil, and eggs and mix. In another bowl, mix flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add to sugar/oil/egg mixture to moisten. Carefully fold in zucchini and nuts. Divide mixture into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake for 55 minutes or until done.

Yield: 16 to 18 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour



Corn, Tomato and Zucchini Salad

6 ears of corn, cooked
8 small vine ripened tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1 inch chunks
1 small red onion, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon mustard
2 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
4 medium zucchini, seeded, cut into 3/4 inch thick half moons and parboiled for 1 minute
Washed lettuce leaves
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, cut into slivers
Slice the kernels off the corn cobs and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Combine with the tomatoes and red onion. Make a dressing of the olive oil mustard and vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the dressing to the vegetables and toss; marinate overnight. Right before serving, combine the zucchini with the rest of the ingredients; transfer them to a platter lined with lettuce and garnish with pitted olives.

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 12 hours
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Difficulty: Easy



Italian Style Baked Zucchini

6 slices bacon, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup thinly sliced prosciutto
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 baby zucchini or 6 small zucchini, trimmed
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a small skillet render the bacon. When almost crisp, add the olive oil and heat up. When the olive oil is hot, add the shallots and cook for a few minutes or until tender. Add the oregano and prosciutto and simmer for a minute. Remove the skillet from the heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cut the baby zucchini in half. If you are using small zucchini, then cut them in half horizontally, then each half in quarters lengthwise. Set them in a lightly oiled gratin dish, skin side down. Sprinkle with the bacon mixture and scatter parsley on top. Cover and bake or 20 minutes.

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Difficulty: Easy




Marinated Zucchini Salad

4 small zucchini, scrubbed and sliced very thin using a mandoline
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Fresh lemon juice to taste
4 tablespoons shredded fresh basil
Hot pepper flakes to taste
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Arrange the zucchini slices in 1 layer in several sheet pans which have been lightly brushed with some of the oil. Lightly brush the tops with some of the remaining oil and bake the slices for 7 to 10 minutes or until they are golden brown. Sprinkle with salt to taste and let cool. Transfer to a serving bowl and toss with the lemon juice, basil and pepper flakes.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Difficulty: Easy



Zucchini Pancakes

1 1/2 pounds zucchini (about 3 large)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 large egg
3/4 cup coarse fresh bread crumbs
Black pepper to taste
Vegetable oil for brushing skillet
Grate zucchini on the largest holes of a grater into a colander and combine well with salt. Let zucchini drain 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.

Using hands, squeeze as much liquid from zucchini as possible. In a bowl stir together zucchini, onion, egg, bread crumbs, and pepper to taste until combined well.

Lightly brush a 12-inch non-stick skillet with oil and heat over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Drop four 1/8-cup measures of zucchini mixture into skillet and with a spatula flatten into 1/4-inch-thick pancakes. Cook pancakes 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until golden and cooked through, transferring pancakes to an ovenproof plate. Keep pancakes warm in oven while making more pancakes in same manner.